Switch



`lune 9, 1931.

M. J. PATE 1,809,527

SWITCH Filed Aug. l0, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 9, 1931.', M. J. PATE I1,809,527 swITcH Filed Aug. 1o., 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 MIG. 5,

Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATI-:s PATENIIQFFICE MATTHEW J'. PATE,0l' WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF T0 DOA-NE HERBING, FWILSON,VNORTH CAROLINA appneautn med august 1o, 192e, Vstrati ira.awww.l l

My invention relates to improvements iin.

switches of the single or plural circuit. controlt pe andlias or itsprimary object to g rovide a novelland'improved device of this 5 d whichis especially adapted` for use in controlling the signalcircuitsl ofmotor ve-` hicles, althou h capableof other adaptations, as lwill be reaily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

.- Another object of vthe linvention lresides in the revision of aswitch, as characterized, which 1s very simple and inexpensive inconstruction, easily assembled andinstalled, and which is highlyeilicient andsatisfactory in practicalV use.

The invention vfurther lcontemplates a switch construction incorporatina` novel and improved snap action circuit closing element, which is caable of assuming a plurality of positions or closing different circuitsand which will automatically maintain itself in such position untilmanually released. Y A still further object of the invention is to a5furnish a switch of this kind having anovel and improved multiple andselectively "operable circuit closing element, there being `em ployednovel guide means for directing said circuit closing element to aposition to close so the respective circuits and which guide meanspermits universal movement of said circuit closing element.

The invention also resides in certain novelconstructions, combinationsand modes of operation of the various parts.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference should behad to the accompanying drawings in connection with the followingdescriptive matter.

The drawings illustrate the now preferred .embodiment of the invention,but it is to be Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional viewthrough the yswitch unit andits enclo-A sure or housin and showing thesame` applied to the das board the view having been taken on the line2-2 of -Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2 and showo ing two additional circuit closing positions of theswitch element; l

Figure 4 is a group perspective view of certain of the iixed elements ofthe switch disassembled;` p

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on Vthe line 5-5 of Figure 2,and

Figure 6 is a group perspective view of thermovable elements of theswitch assembly. i

The various elements of the device are designated by common referencecharacters through-out the several figures of the drawings. Numeral 1'designates Jthe instrument board of a motor vehicle which is providedwith asuitable hole to receive the cylindrical casing 2 of the switch`The casing includes a circular base plate 3 which is bolted totheinstrumentboard, as shown at A, thelinner face of the base platebeing circularly cored out as at 3a to receive the cylindrical bodyportion`2 of the casing. The disk-like closure plate 5 for the inner endo'f the vcasing 2 is tifghtly secured in effective position by means oelongated screw shanks 6 extending there` through and through the baseplate A3V-there being nuts on the ends of said screws 6, as indicated at7, for binding the closure plate in place. t is also proper to notethatthe heads of the screws 6 are bound vagainst the 'base' plate 3 bynuts 8 which bearagainst the counter-sunk face 3* thereof.

The screws 6- serve as the supportafor can` rying the annular switchblock 9, a 'guide disk 10 for the'switch operating handle 11 and thetransverse supporting bar 12 which receives ther inner end of theauxiliary sup`` porting stem 13 of the circuit closing disk 14:,whichkis mounted upon the inner` end of the handle 11. It will beapparent from "the foregoing general description that the screws 6perform a? number of very important of- The switch operating handle,previously referred to, has a knobbed linger piece 11,

remotefrom vplate 3. Thus, shoulder 15 serves as a stop to limitmovement of the handle in an axial direction toward the plate 3.

The circuit closing disk 14 has a central hole tightly receiving abushing 17 of insulating material which is -ri 'dly fitted .upon a shortc lindrical -metal b ook 18,-'keyed or sweatedY upon the end ofhandlell. As clearly shown inthe drawings, the inner end of the member18 projects a substantial distance beyond the insulatin bushing 17. Thisend of member 18 issp erical'ly cored out as at 20 to receive the ballend 13 of the supporting stem 13. The supporting stem 13 has keyedtliereon just inwardly of the ball end 13, a shoulder or enlargement 21,and it will be noted that the same has its end surface cored out orrooved, as at 22, to receive the beveled rim 23 of the socket 20. Asleeve 24 is loosely 'mounted on the supporting stem 1,3, vand betweenthe sleeve 24and the shoulder 21 there is interposed a coil spring 25.'This spring 25 forces the ball end 13 into the socket 20 and the sleeve24 against the transverse supporting bar 12. It will be manifest fromthe foregoing description that the supporting stem 13 and opv eratingrod or lever 11 will be normally maintainedl in axial alinement.'However, when the handle l1 is moved in a radial direction,- whichis tosay, toward the periphery of base plate 3,-the ball joint 13, 20 willpermit the members 11, 13 to be thrown out of axial alinement, althoughremaining in end con` tact. The spring 25 will, of course, hold the.members 11, 13 4in the position mentioned until the lever 11 ismanually moved toward the dead center of the hole 3b whereupon thespring 25comes into action to complete the return .alined l sition.

. the circuit closing f members 11, 13 to their .normal The switchblock9 is held in laceon screw 6 by nuts 30 on either side tereofr-there being washers 31 of insulating material between one set ofnuts and the main current carrying annulus 33, which bears against oneface of .side of the annular block 9; It is understood that block 9 isof insulating material a'ndfthat thescrews 6 extend `therethrough. Thedevice 'shown in the drawin is a vthree point switch. 4In other wor s,three circuits are adapted to be controlled by switch block 9 has itslouter periphery and its end or side adJacent the current carrying 4'annulus 33, notched, as indicated at 35,' to

receive. the copper straps o'r contact members which are denotedV yreference `characl.nuts threaded on the screws posed against oppositefaces of said disk 10..

v lus 9 having'the contacttabs 36, 36".

disk l 14. The annular ters 36, 37, 38, respectively. The straps 36, 37,38 are thus spaced from contact with the member 33 and it will be seenthat their ends are bent. inwardly and rearwardly within the annularblock 9 to define tabs or contacts 36, 37, 38, respectively. The currentcarrying vannulus33 has inwardly projecting contact tabs 36"', 37band38b which are disposed opposite the respective tabs 36, 37, 38, asshown, each pair of tabs 36, 36h, etc. defines a restricted,substantially V-shaped,

recess to receive the periphery of the circuit closing disk 14. Each ofthe contact straps 36, 37, 38 is retained in place by a binding post orscrew, these being denoted by reference characters 36', y37', 38', resctively. Wires lead from each of the bindpuei posts to the respectivesignals. Of course, t e battery and the signals will be grounded asusual.- The straps 36, 7, 38 and likewise the current carrying annulus33 will preferably.

be of spring copper or some other resilient material so that theirtabswill maintain or rather resume their normal relative position upondisengagement of the circuit closing disk 14 therefrom.

-The current carrying annulus 33 has a lateral strap 49 extending aroundthe member 9 and terminating at the opposite side thereof to receive thebindingpost l41 to* which the main current supply wire from the batteryattached. As shown, strap 40 isembdded'in u notch or cut-out 43'n theperipheryof block 9. i

Nuts 44threaded on screws 6 and dispod enable the same to' he adjustedlen the screws 6 soas to increase or decrease the .at opposite sides ofthe'supportin bar'12 wiseof compression ofthespring' 25 so that thecorrect degree of -compression can be secured and maintained.

The uide disk 10, which has been briefly l referre to hereinb'efore, islocated at a redetermined point between the annular switch member 9, andthe base plate 3 by means of 6 and dis- The operating handle 11 extendsthrough a triangular hole 51 in diskl() and when the handle 11 is inAits vnormal position,'which is to say, in `axialrialzi'.llcmeiit withsupporting stem 13,-it is in contact with the bottom wall of thetriangular hole. The corner 52 of hole r51 is disposed toward the partofannu- Thus when the handle 11 is moved 1n a general rightwardlydirection (Figure 1) the disk 14 will be thrown leftwardly (see dottedlines Figure 3) and the handle 11 wedged into the corner .52 of hole 51so that disk 14 will engage the contact tabs 36, 36" to close the signalcircuit, which includes` the right turn signal. By ,the same token,leftward movement of the handle 11 will cause it to -be guided into theopposite disk-ho1e corner left turn 53 to eect theengagement of circuitclosing disk 14 with the contacts 37 37 b to close the signal circuit.Downward movement of the handle 11 results in its being guided into theupper or intermediate notch 54 of hole 51 and since -such notch is in avertical plane with the contacts 1193'3'9",l

of the stop signal circuit the engagement of disk 14 with such vcontactswill be e'ected to close said circuit.

There is reat advanta e in the use of the disk 10 wit f the triangu arhole 51 in that said holeenables the operating handle 11 to partake of auniversal movement Without necessitating itsy being returned to neutralposition when it is desired to move it from one circuit closing positionto another. For instance, the driver ma have actuated the handle 11 toright turn position. In makingu the right turn traffic conditions maynecessitate a sudden stop. This stop can be immediately indicated bysimply hitting lever 11 in a general downward direction. The wall ofhole 51 will guide the handle 11 into the intermediate or upper corner54 and the stop signal circuit will be instantly closed.

An important feature of the device resides in the dat ended sleevesorstops 15, 24 which vbear against base plate 3 and supporting bar 12,respectively, normally tending to hold 'parts 11, 13 in axial alinement.When parts 11, 13 assume any of the circuit closing positions the sleeveor stop members are balanced on edge as shown.. Thus, it will bemanifest that a slight knock on 11 to. start circuit closer 14 towardneutral position `will result in the pressure of the spring 25 ,forcingthe flat ends of 15, 24 to seat against 3 and 12 respectively.y Itwillbe seen that the device is automatically brought back to a trueneutral position with'll, 13 in alinement.

` Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecureby Letters Patent is:

1. prising mounting. plate, an annular block, suppo ng means carried bysaid mounting plate for `supporting-said block in spaced re-` lationshipto said plate, a current carrying annulus secured to one face of saidblock, cury rent contacts secured to said block adjacent said currentcarrying annulus and spaced from contact therewith, an operating lever,saidl base plate having an oversized hole through'which said operatinglever extends,

ment on said lever within saidxblocl andy adapted to selectively engagethe respective circuit contacts and said current carrying annulus,across piece carried by said' supportdefine locatin A rt'evice of theclass described `com-.-

ing means, a supporting` stem loosely" extending -through a hole insaid: cross piece, saidf stem and lever having aball and socket'connection, and a coil -spring on said stem, said stem having a headenlargement against which said spring bears, the other end 'of saidspring bearing against said cross plece whereby to hold said' ball'` andsocket joint ber being disposed between said mountingl plate and .saidannular contact carrying block, the walls of saidhole converging todefine corners for the reception of said handle and said `corners. beinglocated in such positions with respect? to the contacts as to effect aclosing of the respective circuits selectively depending upon theparticular corner into which-the lever is actuated.

3. A switch of the class described comprising a mounting late, anannular switch block, means carried4` by the mounting plate forsupporting the switch block in spaced relationship thereto, auniversally movable switch rod extending into said block and carried bysaid mounting plate, a plurality of sets of circuit contacts carried bysaid block, means on said rod for bridging said contacts, and springactuated means having a universal connection with the inner end of saidrod and bearingl against the same.

` 4. The combination. set forth in claim 3,-- and guide means for saidrod comprising a plate having a hole through which said vrod extends,the walls of said hole converging to n corners vfor said rod to indicatethe position thereof for closing the respective circuits and whereby thehandle can lbe actuated from one circuit closing position to anotherWithout necessitating its return to neutral or non-circuit closingposition.

5. In a switch, a mounting late, rods eX- tending from one face ofsaiclplate, an annular switch block mounted on said rods and havingcircuit contacts, `a universally movablevswitch lever extendingthrough'a hole in saidmounting plate and having a contact engagingportion within said block,a supporting stem having ahead adapted foruniversal end engagement with the endpf said switch'lever, a cross barcarried by said rods and. having a hole concentric with` said mountingplate hole and adapted to receive the free end Aof said stem, a coilspring on said stem `and between said cross bar and head for forcing thehead to cooperative en-` gageientwith the end of said switch lever.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, l

including a guide` member for said switch lever and carried by saidrods, and means whereby said switc block guide member and cross piecemay be relatively adjusted upon said rods.

7 In a switchl of the class described, a pair of supports, a circuitclosingA membercomprising a spring toggle arranged between the supportsand having a circuit closing portion at the toggle connection, a guideplate arran ed between the supports and adjacent to t e toggleconnection, said guide lplate havin a polygonal opening through whichone o? the toggle members extend, the walls of said hole converging todefine corners for said memberto indicate the position thereof for'closing the respective circuits, whereby the toggle can be actuated fromone circuit closingv position to another without necessitating thereturn of the toggle to co-axial or non-c1rcuit closing osition. 8. In aswitch ofthe class descri d, a -pair '20 of supports, a circuit closingmember comprising a spring actuated toggle arranged between the supportsand havlng a circuit closing portion at the toggle connection thereof, aguide plate arranged between the supports and adjacent to the toggleconnecf tion, said guide plate having a triangular opening adapted toselectively retain the toggle members in alinement or a. plurality ofcircuit closing positions. Y Intestimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

MATTHEW J. PATE.

